


After life, Death

by SolarSystem



Category: Disco Elysium (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Supernatural Elements, can we get an f for one harry du bois, god knows the entire rcm needs it, is it????, kim is the mvp, maybe a bit of therapy too, now that im reading it the fic isn't as edgy the summary makes it sound, these lads need a hug tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:34:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24443671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarSystem/pseuds/SolarSystem
Summary: The pale, an inexplicable phenomenon; a silent executioner lulling its prey to an eternal sleep with a gentle kiss. Any unfortunate victim ensnared in its smoke is doomed to slowly rot away, piece by piece. It's no wonder Harry found himself in the core of its destruction.
Relationships: Harry Du Bois & Kim Kitsuragi, Harry Du Bois/Kim Kitsuragi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52
Collections: Disco Elysium Big Bang





	After life, Death

**Author's Note:**

> This is the entry for the Disco Elysium Big Bang, in collaboration with Heï, @Amerbeans on twitter (https://twitter.com/Amerbeans?s=20). They're an amazing artist and you should definitely check them out. Hope you enjoy this story, I certainly enjoyed writing it! Kudos and comments are much appreciated B)

**HAND-EYE COORDINATION [MEDIUM: SUCCESS] -** You take a deep, shuddering breath and pull the trigger-

**REACTION SPEED -** A kaleidoscope of sparks and ash flares at the muzzle of your gun, an intense heat scorches through the barrel. A crack splits the air like shattering glass, followed by an ear-splitting ringing. 

Then, silence.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** And suddenly, the spell is broken; the pawns on the battlefield disperse immediately after the shot, scattering like a game of billiards. The smoke clears and you see Kortenaer’s limp body slumped over and unmoving. Blood gurgles and pools in his mouth as his slack jaw moves to form incoherent babbles. 

A fire continues to burn in his pupils, incited by a renewed wrath. He locks eyes with you and slowly, his torn lips move in a sequence of patterns,

**KORTENAER -** You’re next.

**RUUD HOENKLOENWEN -** A sharp glint on your right brings you back to this absonent reality, the scent of gunpowder and iron heavy on your tongue. 

The silent man raises his rifle in slow motion as you watch almost in a trance, legs fused to the dirt. Then-

_ BANG! _

**REACTION SPEED [LEGENDARY: FAILURE] (-2 Distracted by Kortenaer) -** You fail to twist your body to dodge the shot. By the time you’ve regained your senses, a bullet lodges itself deep inside your shoulder.

**SAVOIR FAIRE [HEROIC: SUCCESS] -** Stunned, you stagger backwards. Gravel crumbles beneath your soles as you somehow manage not to fall onto the ground.

**YOU -** With an unsteady hand, you touch your shoulder and look down to your slick fingers.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** A sticky liquid clings to your skin.

Red.

**HALF LIGHT -** RED.

**PAIN THRESHOLD [GODLY: FAILURE] -** White hot pain bursts in your shoulder, ripping through layers of skin, muscle, and sinew. The pain hits you like a derailing freight train, knocking the wind out of your chest. You grit your teeth in an effort not to scream. 

You look at your shoulder expecting to see a macabre display of gore, but instead there is a small gushing hole where the bullet tore through your fragile flesh; blood seeps through the fabric and stains your creased white shirt.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Beside you, Kim curses and raises his 9mm in one swift motion. He stares down the barrel pointed at your assailant with a grave and determined expression. A silent fury roils in his overcast eyes, burning with an intensity that catches you off guard.

**PERCEPTION (HEARING) [GODLY: SUCCESS] -** Kim shifts to adjust his line of sight and murmurs something so low you barely catch it.

“God, please...”

**INLAND EMPIRE -** Lieutenant Kitsuragi is not an overtly religious man. But in this moment, he is begging any god out there with all the strength he can muster in his quiet prayer.

**VISUAL CALCULUS [EASY: SUCCESS] -** He’s aiming for the eye slot in Ruud’s helmet, one of the few weak points in the armor-clad mercenary. A difficult shot is an understatement. He is going to need divine intervention to make it.

**DE PAULE -** Then two shots ring out in the field, engulfing the streets in another wave of smoke and the taste of rusting metal. Two shots- one from your partner and the other from De Paule who had aimed her firearm at Kim. A shrill scream rings in the soot-tinged air.

**GLEN -** In the distance, collapsed near the outer wall of the Whirling-in-Rags, A blonde man lies on the ground with two spluttering bullet holes in his heaving chest. A small, dark puddle begins to form under his body.

**CONCEPTUALIZATION [LEGENDARY: SUCCESS] -** A mighty Viking god, reduced to a bleeding corpse. We shall mourn for him and place his soul among the stars.

**LOGIC -** And the second shot?

**RUUD HOENKLOENWEN -** Dark and viscous liquid leaks through the slit of the helmet like an unending fountain. Ruud takes an unstable hobble back and then another. A crazed, animalistic sound emerges from his helmet as his back hits a solid wall. 

Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, Ruud falls to the ground. His ceramic armor clatters as it scrapes against the hard stone.

**HAND-EYE COORDINATION [TRIVIAL: SUCCESS]** An unfathomable and amazing shot, defying all the odds.

**ESPRIT DE CORPS [EASY: SUCCESS] -** You knew he could do it.

**EMPATHY [MEDIUM: SUCCESS] -** Kim emanates an air of pride and weary relief. He silently thanks the gods for being able to make the shot.

But before you could bask in the secondhand glory-

**INLAND EMPIRE -** Look behind you.

**YOU -** You turn and feel an oppressive weight cling onto your skin and clothes, enveloping you in its entirety and tightening around your neck. A sense of dread coils in the pit of your stomach, its tendrils twist and spoil your body from inside out.

**KORTENAER -** The bleeding man stares down at you, his wide and unblinking eyes burn like an uncontrollable fire set on incinerating everything in its destructive path. This is your end.  _ He _ is your end. 

He aims his pistol at your heart. 

And pulls the trigger.

**REACTION SPEED -** A symphony of blistering pain erupts in your pelvis, it feels as if the bullet ravaged your hip and shattered the bone into a million fragments. Your legs give way and you crumble to the ground like a puppet whose strings have been snapped.

**PAIN THRESHOLD [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** Your knees hit the floor with a crack and you open your mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. You desperately try to push out a cry for help through your choked throat but nothing goes past your lips. The air escapes your lungs and you’re struggling to breathe through the thick, churning nausea crawling up your chest. The pain throbs endlessly and any chance of help fades away as the world slips into darkness.

A black, primordial darkness.

**THE FURIES -** _ Hello, Harrier. _

  
  


* * *

  
  


The lieutenant lowers his gun, smoking at the ends of the barrel, and inspects the chaos before him. A lightshow of artillery fire and primal violence. The scene is littered with war cries and screams as the Hardie Boys launch themselves at the heavily armed mercenaries only to drop dead with their bodies full of lead.

Kim turns to face Harry and catches his partner’s expression. The blood has drained from Harry’s face; his eyes are wide open and his slightly ajar mouth moves without uttering a word. But before he can ask what’s wrong, something in the air shifts and a sharp sense of wrongness echoes in his chest-

_ BANG! _

Another thunderous gunshot. Kim whips his head to see if any of the Hardie Boys have gone down. To his confusion, the remaining ones are still throwing punches and yelling insults and taunts.

His blood runs cold when he hears the body beside him fall to the ground.

Suddenly the world goes black and he feels as if he were the one who was shot. The sounds of gunfire, shouts, and wet blood splatters are drowned out by his heart pounding in his ears. The moving bodies and sparks of light grow darker and darker until the only thing Kim can see is Harry bleeding out, blood pooling beneath his body. Two glittering bullets bury themselves into his soft flesh, two eternal harbingers of death.

Before he can blink, he’s kneeling beside his partner. Kim pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and with shaky hands and presses hard against Harry’s hip. The fabric bleeds a stark red, blossoming until every inch of its pristine white is crimson. He makes a noise of frustration and shucks off his orange bomber to staunch both wounds. 

“You’re bleeding out!” Kim shouts over the gunfire and havoc.

Harry wheezes, blood dribbling down his chin. He writhes on the grime covered dirt, a wet sheen on his forehead from perspiration. His eyes flutter open and shut with no cognizance in his irises. A hoarse groan escapes his lips. 

"Kim…" He rasps out, "They're here, Kim. I'm next."

Harry slowly raises a hand to where Kim is pressing down on his hip and curls his fingers weakly around the man’s wrist. His skin is pale and clammy, he looks as if he’s going to fade away, to become another nameless victim to the pale. 

_ Shit, he’s going into shock. “ _ Keep talking, Harry! Look at me- Stay with me!” Kim pushes his entire weight against his blood-soaked hands. The man beneath him remains unresponsive and a gut-wrenching panic slithers into Kim's chest.

_ You can't lose another one. Not again- not him.  _ A burning sensation builds up behind his eyes as hysteria begins to bubble in his throat. Kim grits his teeth and presses harder.  _ You won't lose him. _

Suddenly, Harry’s eyes shoot open, wide as saucers. Kim jolts, taken aback by his stare. His lips move and a howl so haunting it shakes Kim to the core as it echoes in the street.

"NO."

Possessed by a terrifying vigor, Harry's hand seizes the cold metal grip of his gun. With his remaining strength, he lifts his shaking arm from the ground and to the space above Kim's head where a shadowed figure looms over the two. 

Harry prays to whatever god is listening that the bullet finds its way deep within the monster's brain.

He squeezes the trigger,

And the world explodes into a cacophony of gunpowder and silence.

  
  


* * *

  
  


**THE FURIES -** Impressive shot, Harrier. We've been waiting for this moment.

**YOU -** Who are you? What's going on?

**INLAND EMPIRE [MEDIUM: SUCCESS] -** Pandemonium continues in the waking world, an endless continuum of tragedy and death. 

**PERCEPTION (HEARING) [EASY: SUCCESS] -** An endless battle cascading in your eardrums. Echoes of fists breaking skin, cracking bone, and fallen men ring in your head. 

**ENDURANCE [LEGENDARY: FAILURE] -** It beats in time with the pulsating pain radiating from every crevice of your body.

**CONCEPTUALIZATION [CHALLENGING: SUCCESS] -** Like a smooth, hypnotizing waltz. Drifting across an empty ballroom with light steps, swaying with the melancholic melody.

**ELECTROCHEMISTRY [FORMIDABLE: SUCCESS] -** Or the heavy bass of anodic music reverberating in the cramped walls of a dark nightclub. 

**PAIN THRESHOLD [HEROIC: FAILURE] -** The ceaseless dance party and pain in your head makes it incredibly difficult to make sense of what's going on.

**THE FURIES -** Who we are is unimportant. It is  _ you  _ who is of incredible interest.

**LOGIC - [TRIVIAL: SUCCESS] -** This voice doesn't feel right, like a puzzle piece that refuses to fit.

This voice is not one of your own.

**HALF LIFE -** THIS THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

THERE IS NO WAY OUT.

**YOU -** You’re not...one of them. How are you speaking to me?

**THE FURIES -** The same way your beloved city speaks to you. 

**SHIVERS [MEDIUM: SUCCESS] -** Low whispers shift in the oceanic gale, the magnetic pull of sea spray speckling your cheeks. Factory smog gasps from splotchy chimneys, shrouding the skies with looming grey clouds and hiding stories tucked away in unseen corners. 

The city of Revachol murmurs and stirs beneath your toes and shudders in the wind. It courses through your veins and flows to the tips of your fingers. You are attuned to the city as she is attuned to you. You are one and the same, a single conversation.

**RHETORIC [CHALLENGING: FAILURE] -** But this is not the city speaking. Its hollow voice raises the hairs on your skin, a prickling sensation runs down your nape. 

**YOU -** I- I don't understand. 

**THE FURIES -** An inaccurate statement. You  _ do _ understand, you merely choose not to accept it. You have woven a blindfold from your fears and draped it over your unwilling eyes. 

**AUTHORITY [EASY: SUCCESS] -** This is going nowhere. The cryptic nonsense is getting old.

**YOU -** Cut the bullshit, who are you?

**THE FURIES -** How rude. But very well. If you wish for answers then you shall receive them.

I am the very city you live and breathe in. You listened to her siren melodies and captivating sea shanties, and cast your eyes away from the infection rotting beneath. While you traversed down the streets of Jamrock, enraptured by its neon lamps and bustling crowds- I laid in wait in the filthy alleyways devoid of light, festering in silence. 

I am the sickness, the absence you refuse to acknowledge. The horrors you left behind in the mirror. I am everything you fear and  _ will _ fear.

I am you.

**CONCEPTUALIZATION -** Then something… changes.

**SHIVERS [LEGENDARY: SUCCESS] -** Faint crackling, growing louder as if it is coming closer. Like hammering a pick against a solid sheet of ice.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** The pitch black world that has grown familiar to you morphs into a blinding white. 

**YOU -** You try to bring your hand to shield your eyes but you remain frozen in place.

**PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT -** A chill creeps into your lungs and you can feel frost crystallize in the inner tissue.

**ENDURANCE [HEROIC: FAILURE] -** Your eyelids are suddenly impossible to keep open. As they slide shut, the piercing white continues to burn into your retinas.

**THE FURIES -** Goodbye,  _ présage _ . You will be his end.

**YOU -** And you slip away into nothingness.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Hauling his unconscious partner up the flight of stairs and into the trashed hostel room is as difficult as he expected, but Kim manages to do so with minimal incidents. He lays down Harry’s body as gingerly as he can on the stained couch lacerated in gashes, stuffing and rusty springs spilling out from the holes. 

The hinges of the door behind him squeaks and Kim looks over his shoulder to see who had entered the room. The cafeteria manager shuffles in, staring at the empty bottles and broken record player in disdain. In his hand he holds a first aid kit, a rag, and a bucket of water. He snaps out of his gaze and nods his head towards Kim, walking up to him and wordlessly passing the items to the lieutenant.

Garte grimaces at Harry’s state and inspects the room again; the stained wallpaper torn to shreds, various garbage littered on the floor, and the smashed window where frigid air rushed in. He huffs out a sigh, shaking his head with a look of apprehension.

“I should really clean this place up…” He mutters to himself. Garte then takes another glance at Harry, a hint of worry in his eyes. 

"I want to thank you. For intervening out there." He says.

Kim shakes his head. "No need to thank me, Mr. Garte. We were just doing our job." Then after a moment, “And if you can, cleaning up this room would be incredibly helpful.”

The man nods and leaves to retrieve some cleaning supplies, closing the door with a click. Kim turns to Harry’s unconscious body and rolls up his sleeves. 

There is work to be done.

* * *

  
  


The hours begin to blur together in a surreal smokescreen of blood, sweat, and a lingering sense of dread. As time passes, the room slowly becomes a distant memory of what it once was. It's not as pristine as its original condition, but it's as good as it can get in the current circumstances.

Kim wraps the final bandage around Harry’s injuries and sighs a heavy breath of relief. The hardest part is now over. All he can do is pray and wait.

The man wipes off his hands with the wet rag and slumps down on the floor beside the sofa. His eyes wander to the chipped ceiling as his mind begins to process the events that had just occurred.

When he stepped between the mercenaries and the Hardie Boys, the lieutenant came to terms with the cruel likelihood that he was not going to make it out alive, that the scuffle would result in a bloodbath. Three men died, but Harry saved the lives of countless others in a hopeless scenario. He saved  _ him.  _

The case seems to be coming to a dead end. Both Klassje’s and Ruby’s names are cleared and there are no more suspects on the list of potential culprits. It will take a miraculous stroke of luck to find the murderer. THE HANGED MAN case most likely will vanish in a sea of unsolved mysteries. 

From the sofa, Harry shifts minutely, and Kim cranes his head to get a better view of the man. He looks worse for wear, which is to be expected after getting shot twice. A pang of guilt rattles in Kim’s chest. He got out of the gunfight relatively unscathed with some bruising while Harry was left with two near-fatal wounds. __

_ Hasn’t he gone through enough?  _ He wonders bitterly. 

Scenes from the Tribunal flash before his eyes. Blinding bursts of light. Harry falling to the ground. The feeling of his heart shattering to pieces. He’d give anything to not relive that moment. He’d give anything to protect Harry. The ferocity of his own conviction startles Kim.

The body above him begins to squirm, a low groan emitting from his lips. Kim moves to kneel next to his partner. Harry's face twists into an expression of agitation and discomfort, sweat gathering at his brow as he begins to toss and turn erratically. His hands clutch the worn sheets, trembling knuckles quickly turning white.

“No… Kim…”

He’s having a nightmare. Kim hovers above him, wincing as he hears another feverish whimper. He draws closer, taking Harry’s cold hands into his, squeezing lightly. 

“I’m right here.” 

Harry slowly exhales, releasing a shaky breath; the tension and tremors in his body lessen upon his partner's words. Kim runs his thumb over Harry's knuckles, eyes softening.

"It's okay, Harry," He murmurs. "I'm right here."

  
  


* * *

  
  


**PERCEPTION (HEARING) -** Something buzzes in your ears, like a distant melodic trill of a cicada.

**LOGIC [HEROIC: SUCCESS] -** It sounds like electricity humming in the currents of a lightbulb.

**SHIVERS -** Your neurons slowly flare up one by one as your systems reboot. Nerves tingle at the tips of your fingers, your toes, and every square inch of your body. The inferno machine awakens.

**PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [GODLY: SUCCESS] -** With all your might, you crack open your eyelids.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT)-** An intense white light floods your vision.

**PAIN THRESHOLD [CHALLENGING: FAILURE] -** Definitely the lightbulb.

**ENDURANCE [HEROIC: SUCCESS] -** Despite the instinct to close your eyes and return to the soothing darkness, you pry them open.

Slowly the world returns to its normal hue and luminosity.

And you see Kim standing over you.

**YOU - “** Kim…”

**KIM KITSURAGI -** “Sunrise, Parabellum.” He says with his gloved hands clasped behind his back. The fan whirs steadily behind his head, fresh bruises blossom on his weary face. 

**ENCYCLOPEDIA [MEDIUM: SUCCESS] -** _ Sunrise Parabellum _ **_,_ ** an old war time saying. It’s Sunrise, Prepare-For-War.

**YOU -** “That’s engraved on my gun.”

**KIM KITSURAGI - “** It served you well.” Then he nods thoughtfully. “It’s a good saying.”

**YOU -** You rub your shoulder with your hand, rolling it experimentally. “What happened?”

**KIM KITSURAGI -** “You shot Kortenaer and people started shooting at each other."

**HAND-EYE COORDINATION -** It’s all coming back to you. Excellent shot, by the way.

**YOU -** Thanks **.**

**“** Right, then Ruud shot me-”

**PAIN THRESHOLD -** Pain ripples in your shoulder, dulled by the drugs running in your systems.

**ELECTROCHEMISTRY [FORMIDABLE: SUCCESS] -** It’s drouamine. Good stuff. It’ll be hell when it wears off eventually.

**YOU -** “And was shot by you.” You look up to him, gratitude gleaming in your eyes. “Thanks, by the way. It was an incredible shot- Which is to be expected coming from you.”

**REACTION SPEED - [LEGENDARY: SUCCESS] -** Kim coughs into his hand and looks away. If you squint through your doubling vision, you can see his ears turn the faintest shade of red. 

**KIM KITSURAGI -** “Khm. Thank you.” He regathers his composure and turns back to you.

**AUTHORITY -** Time for some serious talk. You know what’s coming.

**YOU -** “... How many?”

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Kim sighs softly and averts his gaze, removing his glasses to wipe the lenses.

“Three. Angus, Glen, and Theo.” 

**EMPATHY [CHALLENGING: SUCCESS] -** He won't go into further detail if you don't want him to.

**VOLITION [HEROIC: FAILURE] -** Don't. You won't be able to handle knowing how you failed them. 

The memory of death burns like a freshly picked scab. The image of Glen going down hard lingers in your mind, his hand flying to the wounds in his chest as blood pours out with no end. 

**KIM KITSURAGI -** "Hey," Kim says, his voice impossibly gentle. "It wasn't your fault."

**INLAND EMPIRE -** Who shot the first bullet?

**YOU -** A ragged sigh falls from your lips, heaving from your archaic lungs. "I know." You can't save them all.

"What now?"

**LOGIC -** All your leads are fresh out. But…

**KIM KITSURAGI -** "We continue searching, go over places we've been before, interview some citizens. See if we've missed anything." 

Kim tilts his head at you with a curious gaze. "Do you have anywhere you would like to check first?"

**SHIVERS [GODLY: SUCCESS] -** Klassje's room. Something awaits you.

**YOU -** "I think we should go to Klassje's first. I've got a gut feeling about it."

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Kim nods. He opens his mouth to say something, a tentative look clouds his expression.

"Are you able to walk?" 

**ENDURANCE -** Of course you are! You should get up right now just to show him!

**YOU - "** Of course I am. I'm not ancient." You say with a slight scoff. Kim raises a single challenging eyebrow.

You push against the cushions to raise your body-

**PAIN THRESHOLD [LEGENDARY: FAILURE] -** The world goes white as a sizzling hot pain explodes in your hip and shoulder, rivaling the heat of a wildfire. Your nervous system screams against the agony of branding iron tearing through your flesh.

**YOU -** Your face contorts into a grimace that looks strikingly similar to The Expression. Pain is a common factor between the two.

In the corner of your eye, you see Kim move closer, a look of concern coloring his face. Then he stops in his tracks.

**PERCEPTION (TOUCH) -** Despite the heat of the pain, a slight chill runs down your spine. A prickling cold sensation blooms from your hands.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** You open your eyes to see Kim's hand raised in an aborted motion to help you up. His face is carefully neutral as he stares at your hands that are gripping tightly at the sheets beneath you.

**YOU -** You look down,

And see a dissipating mist fanning from your fingers. The fabric crumbles away to nothing, like ash burning at the end of a cigarette.

"What the fuck."

**LOGIC [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** What just happened?

**COMPOSURE [FORMIDABLE: FAILURE] -** Do not panic. I repeat, Do. Not. Panic.

**INTERFACING -** Your fingers brush against the sheets, where patches of cloth used to be. Small pieces fall away, vanishing into infinitesimal specks. 

**LOGIC [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** There has to be a reasonable explanation to this, right?

**INLAND EMPIRE -** The blindfold slips away from your eyes. You have seen something you cannot unsee. The thin veil that had once protected your feeble vessel no longer exists. 

You were not prepared.

**SHIVERS -** From a place you cannot reach, even beyond death, a vexatious spectre laughs at your adversities.

**YOU -** "Kim, what just happened?"

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He blinks and coughs into a fist, just as shocked as you are. 

"I…I don't know." He admits.

**ESPRIT DE CORPS [EASY: SUCCESS] -** In all his 20 years as a cop, Lieutenant Kitsuragi has never seen anything like this.

**YOU -** You stare bewildered at the tattered ends, mist still smouldering at the tips. 

"It disintegrated,"

**ENCYCLOPEDIA [TRIVIAL: SUCCESS] -** Something about this feels familiar-

**YOU -** "Like… the pale."

**EMPATHY [CHALLENGING: SUCCESS] -** Kim's eyes widen at the mention of the pale. Conflict flickers across his face.

He doesn't want to believe it, but he just witnessed it himself.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He shakes his head. "That's…"

**RHETORIC -** Impossible, he wants to say. But is it really with you?

**INLAND EMPIRE -** The impossible seems to follow you everywhere you go.

**YOU** \- “Okay. I have some freaky powers. No big deal. It’s cool.”

**KIM KITSURAGI -** “It’s…” He pinches the bridge of his nose, suddenly looking very tired. 

“A 2mm hole in the world and now this. I honestly should be expecting this at this point. What next, the insulindian phasmid?”

**EMPATHY [LEGENDARY: FAILURE] -** He sounds mad.

**YOU -** “Are you… mad at me?”

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He pauses, brows furrowed in confusion. “Mad at you? Why would I be…” Then he sighs and shakes his head, the ceiling lights bouncing off the lenses of his glasses. 

“No, detective.” Kim says. “I’m not mad at you. It’s just a lot to take in.”

**VOLITION -** Discovering a new strange and destructive power is no excuse to delay the investigation. There is a murderer to find.

Klassje’s room awaits.

**YOU -** “This is weird and all,” you say with a huff of what you hoped was a disarming chuckle-

**COMPOSURE [CHALLENGING: FAILURE] -** You sound like a nervous wreck.

**YOU -** “But there’s still a case we need to solve. I’ll just figure all this,” You gesture to the sheets, “Later.”

**KIM KITSURAGI -** “Right.” He nods and leans forward, as to help you up, but stops.

**LOGIC [FORMIDABLE: FAILURE] -** Why did he…?

**INLAND EMPIRE [TRIVIAL: SUCCESS] -** He's afraid of the pale.

He's afraid of you.

**PAIN THRESHOLD [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** A sharp, excruciating feeling stabs your chest. Your lungs burn unbearably for a moment that feels like eons, unable to take in oxygen.

**YOU** \- You raise your hand and smile weakly. "It's alright, I can get up on my own."

**PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [HEROIC: SUCCESS] -** You push against your good leg and the couch, and manage to plant your feet on the floor.

**SAVOIR FAIRE [CHALLENGING: SUCCESS] -** For a few moments you stagger in the air as a wave of vertigo obscures your vision but you remain upright for the most part.

**EMPATHY [MEDIUM: FAILURE] -** Something flashes in Kim's eyes, but it vanishes just as quickly as it appeared. You wonder how he's feeling right now.

**CONCEPTUALIZATION [EASY: SUCCESS] -** Like approaching a caged wild animal that only knows how to bite.

**YOU -** You throw Kim a lopsided grin, to which he returns with a faint hint of a smile.

"Shall we?" You say, with an exaggerated pompous accent.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He raises an eyebrow. "Try to go easy on the 'Jamrock shuffle', detective." 

**YOU -** As you make your way through the now-cleaned room to the door, you whip out your 9mm finger pistols, and shoot them at Kim. You can see the corners of his lip quirk slightly up.

"No promises!"

* * *

  
  


**PERCEPTION (HEARING) -** The door to Klassje’s room opens with a slight squeak as the two of you step through the entrance. There’s barely a sound within the walls, no signs of human life. It feels like a ghost town.

**SAVOIR FAIRE -** Silently, you limp across the tiled floor and make your way up the stairs. Each step rings out in the desolate room, echoing sharply in the air and joined by the sound of creaking wood.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** The small bedroom is empty. All of Klassje’s personal belongings are gone, along with her. Dust swirls in the light illuminated by the lone lamp on the nightstand, the room is cast in a soft warm glow.

A single red line stretches from the shelf and through the large window, pointing to a spot in the sky.

**LOGIC [TRIVIAL: SUCCESS] -** The island.

**VISUAL CALCULUS -** You walk over to the window. The room erupts into a phantasmagoria of neon lights and distant echoes of the past. Hazy angles swimming with point “A”s and “B”s flicker in and out of existence. 

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Kim thumbs the thread, it sways beneath his finger. “Ballistics. She left this for us when she escaped…” He murmurs, gazing at the string in wonder. 

**YOU -** You point to where the line leads to, a small islet dotting the ocean. 

“It goes to the island.” 

**VISUAL CALCULUS -** How long has she been staring out the window, the events of that fateful night replaying in her head?

**YOU -** You follow the red thread, stepping out into the balcony. Cold wind nips at your face, bringing along the scent of sea salt and ash. The red thread ends at the large antenna towering over the concrete platform.

You tread over to the railings, leaning your weight against the groaning metal. A breeze chimes in your ears, whispering tales from along the shore. The tree where Lely once dangled from stands in the vacant lot. It’s a perfect view from the balcony.

**SHIVERS [EASY:SUCCESS] -** Can you imagine how it feels to see the corpse of someone who was just alive a week ago? To see that everyday? To be constantly on the run, with one eye always open as you sleep? To only feel safe when drowning in a sea of alcohol and drugs?

**INLAND EMPIRE -** You can, can’t you?

**ENDURANCE [LEGENDARY: FAILURE] -** A surge of sadness washes over you, like an unrelenting tidal wave. Your grip on the cool metal bars tightens.

**YOU -** It’s so unfair. She shouldn’t have to live like this.

**INLAND EMPIRE -** The city of Revachol cares not whether life is fair or not. Her edges are merciless and fatal. It is an “eat-or-be-eaten” world; the weak will perish. Only the strong survive.

**YOU -** I should’ve gotten the body down at least. Give her one less reason why this world is shit. 

**VOLITION [FORMIDABLE: FAILURE] -** But you didn’t.

**YOU -** Because you’re fundamentally broken.

**VOLITION -** An eternal screw-up, a jammed stereo fated to rewind and play the same song over and over again. The same old story of smashed Commodore red and telling people to fuck off while you sob in a dark forgotten corner.

**ESPRIT DE CORPS -** An image resurges in your mind, the look of hurt and utter betrayal masked by an air of bitter indifference on Jean's face when you failed to recognize who he was. Years worth of abuse and your waning friendship echoed in his eyes. You failed him, just like you failed so many others.

**YOU -** Jean Vicquemare. Judith Minot. Ptolemy Pyrce. Guillaume Bevy, Sylvie Malaìika, Lawrence Garte, Angus, Glen, Theo, Klassje, Kim-

**KIM KITSURAGI -** “Detective.” Kim says suddenly, a sense of alarm in his words.

**SAVOIR FAIRE [GODLY: FAILURE] -** You jump at the sound of his voice. Your attention is then directed towards the mist coming from your cold hands.

**YOU -** “Oh fuck-” You jerk away from the railing, watching as the fog eats away the metal. You slowly turn to Kim with a wince.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He looks at the corroding metal warily with a tinge of nervousness. 

**ESPRIT DE CORPS -** How can that be? He’s never nervous, a man like him can’t afford to be nervous.

**EMPATHY** \- That emotion appears in his eyes once again. You can see it with more clarity this time, your own grotesque body reflecting his dark irises. It looks like…

Fear.

**COMPOSURE [LEGENDARY: SUCCESS] -** You cough to the side and shake your head, willing away the tightness threatening to choke your throat.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about… how sad it all is. Klassje's situation, I mean."

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Kim ponders over this and nods his head solemnly. "It is, isn't it?" He says with a small sigh.

**YOU -** “I hope she can stop running one day.” You whisper as you stare off to the distance, where the waves crash into each other for an eternity. Somewhere on that island is the key to this mystery.

"I hope she can be happy."

**INLAND EMPIRE -** She deserves to be. Unlike you.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He follows your gaze to where the coast is and then looks back to you. 

“I do too.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


The boat is lowered down to the murky depths and is soon on its course to the islet. Harry waves goodbye to the fishmonger as Kim moves to man the engine. 

Harry watches as the boat pushes through the sea, a million ripples trailing behind them. The urge to turn on the boombox to listen to a haunting melody tickles in the back of his mind but he resists. Instead, he turns to Kim, his eyes glazed over as he idly stares over the horizon; lost in the waters and the sea of thoughts rolling in his head. The detective clears his throat, 

“Hey, Kim.”

Kim looks over, his face still tilted towards the churning waters. After being with his eccentric partner for a couple of days, he’s learned to sense when Harry is about to drop a bombshell of a question. 

“Yes?” He responds. He watches as Harry shifts in his seat, mulling over the words to piece together.

“How do you feel about the pale?” 

_ Ah, of course he’d ask that,  _ Kim thinks. A tense feeling begins to curdle in the pit of his stomach at the mention of the caustic fog surrounding the isolas.

“How is this relevant to the case, officer?” He shoots back and Kim thinks he may have come off as too harsh-

But Harry carries on, unfazed by Kim’s clipped tone.

“I just discovered I have a pale-related ability. Maybe your input would be helpful.” He says simply, turning away to the ocean. For a second, he looks vulnerable, scared even.

_ Like a caged animal backed into a corner. _ Kim’s mind supplies.  _ He’s scared you’ll hate him because of something he can’t control.  _

“It…” Kim finally says after a while, Harry perks up, not expecting a reply.

“It unsettles me. The thought of Elysium being reduced to nothing.” He admits softly.

“It is a scary thought. I guess that’s why you didn’t want me to talk to the paledriver or to Joyce about it.”

Kim coughs to the side. “I shouldn’t have allowed my own opinions to affect you. For that, I’m sorry.”

Harry flails for a moment, taken aback by the apology. 

“No it’s alright, Kim. I mean, I couldn’t remember anything at that time so your concern was probably called for. I think I would’ve lost my mind if someone told me that a fog was slowly eating away at the world.”

“It is a strange thing to wrap your head around. One day, all of this” The lieutenant gestures around him. “Will be gone, fallen prey to the pale.”

The conversation comes to a still, the small currents lapping gently against the wood of a boat. The silence lingers, the sound of creaking wood and roiling waves filling in the gaps of the lack of words. Then, Harry speaks, his voice so quiet that Kim nearly doesn’t hear it over the whistling winds.

“I won’t ever hurt you.”

All the apprehension Kim felt since seeing the white sheets crumble to nothing vanishes like a weight lifting from his shoulders. He looks at Harry- truly looks at him- and sees a man who apologized for every little mistake he made, a man who showed kindness to everyone he met, a man who has a past so dark it seemed to physically wear him down and still manage to light up a room with his infectious joy. He looks at Harry and sees the man who managed to break down his carefully built walls to stoke his growing affections for that man. 

He looks at him and sees the man who saved him.

The shore quickly comes into view and the boat lurches slightly as it bumps into the edge of the coast. Kim turns off the engine and slowly climbs over to leave the boat.

As he passes his partner, he stops and places a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Kim smiles warmly, a smile filled with as much fondness and trust as he can convey. He squeezes lightly, taking in Harry’s stunned face.

“I know, Harry.”

* * *

  
  


Their steps reverberate in the empty large room. A metallic clang echoes when Harry accidentally kicks over a piece of debris to the side. The air is heavy with the scent of musk and old age. 

They pass by the large micrograde generator, wires spilling out from its frame and strewn across the rusted floor. Harry knocks against the side of the generator, dust dispelling from the ancient contraption. A muted thud resounds from the surface- it’s hollow. Kim leans over to the side, inspecting the wires on the ground.

“This machine hasn’t been used recently but it’s been maintained.” He points to the panel where the cables connect to the generator. “The wiring has been repaired.”

“So someone could’ve been using this.” 

“Yes, to keep the room warm. Perhaps it’s the ‘fire guy’.” 

“Maybe it is…” Harry mutters, the cogs in his head slowly turning.

Kim watches as Harry takes out the LUM canister and tips it over the open lid to the fuel tank. He steps forward, pointedly ignoring the warmth radiating from the body beside him and holds up the container as Harry tilts it further, dark liquid oozing down into the tank. A singed, acidic chemical smell fills the cold room. Kim flicks the red starter switch on the side of the cylindrical generator. He looks at Harry, signaling for him to pull the rope.

With a firm tug, the mechanism sputters, fuel burning and rousing the engine. The clanging abates to a constant rattling.

Kim steps back, a small feeling of pride from watching a machine come to life settles in his chest. Harry grins and turns to him with his hand in the air.

“Ace’s high!” His joy is contagious. Kim draws his hand, delivering a satisfying  _ clap _ against Harry’s calloused one. He turns his palms over, feeling a tug of fondness at his partner’s barely contained glee.

“Ace’s low.” Kim says with a growing smile. Harry slaps his hand down, his fingers lingering for just a few moments before pulling away.

Harry moves on past the whirring generator, Kim trailing behind him. They ascend the stairs, stopping in front of an unmade cot lined against the scarred walls. A few novels lay abandoned on the white linen sheets.

“Someone’s been staying here.” Kim concludes, crouching to prod at the mattress and thumbing through some of the literature.

“How recently-” Harry starts but he stops immediately. Kim twists his head to see a harsh wince on the man’s face. He gets up and moves aside the books, placing them neatly on the floor.

“You know, detective,” He says gently, keeping his voice even as to not betray the amount of concern he feels. The last thing he wants is for Harry to feel patronized. “You can rest here if you’re feeling tired. I’ll watch over you.”

Harry blinks, gratefulness replacing his pained expression, and smiles softly; a smile Kim has never seen on Harry before.

“Thank you, Kim. I mean it.”

Something stirs within Kim’s chest and he remains standing, dumbfounded, as Harry crawls into the small cot with his back turned to the lieutenant. 

“Khm. You’re welcome.” He lowers himself onto the cold ground against the mattress, listening to Harry’s breathing slow down.

“ _ Fais de beaux rêves _ .”

  
  


* * *

  
  


**YOU -** You blink blearily as the world around you comes into focus.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** Stray specks of dust flicker in the fleeting light, they scatter when you push yourself off the mattress. You look around and find the room empty.

**VOLITION [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** Where’s...Kim? He said he’d watch over you...

**PAIN THRESHOLD [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** The pain from your wounds is nothing compared to the feeling of your heart ripping to shreds. 

**INLAND EMPIRE -** There’s something different in the air, a gnawing sense of dread weighing down your chest. Tread carefully- there are cracks in the ice you walk on and if you’re not careful the bitter-cold waters will swallow you whole.

Go to the beach. There’s something there.

**PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT -** You swing your legs off the bed, the chill numbing the throbbing pain in your joints. Mindlessly, you walk past the metal contraptions and ensnaring coils of wires. 

**COMPOSURE -** As you exit the building, a gust of frigid wind blows against your body, sending a wave of goosebumps down your arms. You continue on, trudging through the uneven terrain and tall tufts of dry grass. 

**CONCEPTUALIZATION [EASY: SUCCESS] -** Like a soldier marching to his death.

**SHIVERS [EASY: SUCCESS] -** Or a lamb being sent to the slaughterhouse.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** You stop at the border of the isola, where the ground melds with the sea. The water is stagnant, impervious to the freezing gales that sweeps across its surface.

**YOU -** You walk forward, a reverent step filled with faith and fear. The currents waver beneath your soles, sending branches of white ripples through the waves. You can see her footprints on ahead and you feel the inexplicable urge to follow them, like a prophecy you have to fulfill. 

Then the ocean blue gives way to white streaks on dark asphalt, a street corner painted with shades of misery. A passing breeze swirls upon the concrete pavements, her pale dress swaying ever so slightly with her golden locks. A shiver runs down your spine.

**DOLORES DEI -** She turns her head to your approaching footsteps, the lampposts bathing her in an ethereal light. A small suitcase sits beside her feet, her hands clutched on the handle in a death grip. She seems to be in a hurry.

She locks eyes with you, her faded pupils widening as she takes a step towards the road past the video rental store.

“Harry.”

**ENCYCLOPEDIA [TRIVIAL: SUCCESS] -** This is Dolores Dei, the Innocence of Innocences. The most revered, loved, and respected person in all of history. Her lungs are glowing against the fabric of her dress.

**INLAND EMPIRE -** The brighter the light, the darker the shadows. 

**EMPATHY -** You love her. You would fall upon your knees and worship her. She is your everything.

"Hey." You say. Her eyes avert your gaze as she shifts closer to the path behind her.

**DOLORES DEI -** "This song is getting old, Harry."

**LOGIC [CHALLENGING: FAILURE] -** What is she talking about?

**VOLITION -** She's going to leave- don't let her!

**YOU -** "Don't leave me!" You cry out. Your shout echoes across the empty sidewalk.

**DOLORES DEI -** A tired expression wears down her beautiful face. "Please, Harry." Her voice is ragged, it sounds like a message through the phone that has been distorted by radio waves. "We've done this a million times. I’m tired. Aren't you too?"

**INLAND EMPIRE -** This isn’t how it's supposed to go.

**YOU -** "I'm never tired- I'm the eternal superstar." You shoot two frantic finger-guns at her. Her face remains impassive. She sighs again, unswayed by your boyish antics.

**DOLORES DEI -** "You're not. You're a broken machine refusing to let go of the past. You refuse to acknowledge the truth so you blind yourself with drugs, alcohol, and fear. You're  _ sad _ ."

**PAIN THRESHOLD [CHALLENGING: FAILURE] -** The words come out harsher with her impossibly soft voice, tinged with a chronic melancholy and longing.

**LOGIC [EASY: SUCCESS] -** Longing for a life far, far away.

**SHIVERS -** A life without you.

**YOU -** "That's not...true…" You croak out weakly. "I-I can change!"

**ELECTROCHEMISTRY -** Can you, though?

**DOLORES DEI -** "An animal cannot change its hereditary nature. Look at you, now you’ve been given the curse of the pale."

**YOU -** "You know about that? Why am I like this?"

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** Her expression falters and you drown in the sea of pity in her eyes. The intensity of her stare has you fighting to breathe.

**DOLORES DEI -** "Oh, Harry." She shakes her head despondently. "You've always been like this.”

**VOLITION -** Don’t ask-

**YOU -** “Like what?” Your voice shakes as you push out the words through your throat, your trembling legs quake in her oppressive presence. 

**DOLORES DEI -** “A monster.” She says simply, as if it’s obvious.

**INLAND EMPIRE -** And it is- you’re a late-stage alcoholic, a nuclear bomb in a valley of mines. Every step is a misstep and you end up hurting anyone who dares to come close. Now everything you touch dies, but it’s always been that way, hasn’t it?

**YOU -** “No, that’s-”

**DOLORES DEI -** "Why do you think I left, Harry? Why did I abandon our unborn children? Why did I pick up everything I had to leave for Graad? It is all because of you." Her face falls to an expression of grief, mourning something that never existed. 

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t do this anymore.“ She says quietly and turns to leave, her dress fluttering behind her.

**REACTION SPEED [MEDIUM: SUCCESS] -** You lunge and grab her wrist before she can disappear into the darkness. She doesn't resist and instead looks you straight in the eye, her piercing blue irises boring into your soul. You scramble for words, anything to make her stay longer.

"Please don't go," You beg desperately, stuttering as panic starts to overwhelm your senses. "I can change-I can fix everything."

**CONCEPTUALIZATION -** The same song stuck repeating in your head for forever. The lyrics are unchanged, desperate pleas garbling over a sickening disco melody.

**DOLORES DEI -** "No. No you can't" She whispers with an empty gaze. You watch in growing horror as her wrist begins to crack beneath your fingers like shattering glass, even when you pull your hand away. The chasm splits and grows, spreading across her porcelain skin. 

"It's not enough to kill only yourself, is it? All you do is destroy those around you in the name of false love." She murmurs, fragments of her being fall to the ground as the hauntingly familiar street melts into a sea of white. A creeping mist engulfs the world with its suffocating chill.

“This is the last time you will ever see me. I’ll be gone, lost in the darkness of your heart. Goodbye, Harry.”

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** The remnants of her body fracture to a million pieces, the shards flying to the wind and disappearing in the thick pale. You are now all alone, standing in the incessant expanse of nothingness.

Past the rolling fog, you see a small shadowy figure standing where death has yet to reach. As you squint, you can make out two shining moons and the outline of a pillowy jacket. Behind the figure’s head, an arc lamp bows to curl behind his silhouette. You slowly realize in horror, as the pale surges closer to him, who this person is. 

**YOU -** "KIM!" 

You scream his name, fear burning through your veins. You run towards him, your worn soles skidding across the rough pavement-

Just in time to see his body slowly fade away. You stare uselessly as bits and pieces fall apart, his soft and forgiving eyes staring back at you.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** It's okay, he wants to say. I'm alright. But the pale has already eaten away his lungs, his chest cavity, his heart- and it will not stop until you have consumed everything you can. So he smiles and silently closes his eyes.

For the first and final time of your pathetic existence, you see Kim Kitsuragi cry.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Kim jolts awake from the light slumber he unknowingly slipped into when the body above him begins to thrash wildly. He jumps to his feet as Harry scrambles to sit at the side of the cot, his back hunched over and trembling. Kim takes a step back to get a better look at his partner. His face is pale and clammy, as if he had just seen a ghost. Harry mutters sentences under his breath, too rapid and indistinct to understand. 

“Detective, what-” The lieutenant reaches a hand forward and Harry’s eyes widen as he clambers off the makeshift bed. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry-” Kim hears him say as Harry stumbles past him, darting through the exit of the abandoned building. He runs after him, his concern growing with every passing second.

Loose soil crunches under his boots as he chases after Harry, who is moving at an impressive speed for someone who had been shot twice. The wind howls in his ears, numbing his face with its cold breath and knocking his glasses askew. Soon the sound of waves pushing and pulling against the shore overtakes the wind as the ocean comes into view.

Harry stands near the sea, indifferent to the water lapping at his shoes. He stares off to the distance, searching for something Kim can’t see. The lieutenant steps closer to him. Harry turns his head to face him, his expression filled with so much remorse it makes Kim’s heart ache.

Kim takes another step towards his partner, brows furrowing when Harry jerks away. His hand falls down his sides, fingers curling into a fist.

“I… I don’t want to hurt you.” Harry whispers harshly, his voice cracking with the roar of the waves. For a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, they listen to the sounds of the currents crashing against the rocky coast. White gulls caw in the distance, signalling their arrival in the cold early spring.

“I thought maybe losing my memory was my chance to change- that I could stop being that animal I used to be. But I haven’t changed at all.” He closes his eyes, sighing in a deep breath of air. “All I’ve done and all I will do is hurt people. I’m sick of doing that.”

The sun is well on its course towards the horizon, curtained behind a canvas of clouds with the dimming sunlight bleeding through the edges. A chilling breeze flutters through the beach, temperatures dipping as the night approaches. Kim tears his eyes from Harry to stare at the line where the sky meets the sea and takes in the crisp ocean air.

“When I first saw you, a clearly drunk man, stumble down the stairs, I expected to shoulder the entire case myself and to babysit an incompetent detective."

In the corners of his eyes he sees Harry’s eyes flutter open, his words startling the man from his guilt ridden thoughts. Kim presses on,

"But," he says with a quirk of his eyebrow, "That didn't happen."

"You took on the case with surprising vigor, despite your past and lack thereof haunting you. You were able to resist the urge to give in to your vices and solved not only the case, but seemingly irrelevant side tangents, helping the citizens of Martinaise. You were-  _ are  _ incredibly kind and intelligent. I may not know first-hand who you were in the past but I can tell you have most definitely changed for the better."

Harry blinks rapidly, turning his head away from the lieutenant, and Kim is confused as to why until he sees the wet sheen in the man’s eyes. 

Kim walks to Harry, a glimmer of hope blooming in his chest when the man doesn’t turn away.

* * *

  
  


**RHETORIC -** Wow.

**DRAMA [GODLY: SUCCESS] -** He meant every single word. 

**ESPRIT DE CORPS -** Lieutenant Kitsuragi is not the type who can deal with emotional issues well.

**PAIN THRESHOLD [FORMIDABLE: FAILURE] -** Why does this… hurt?

**EMPATHY -** You've grown used to people being furious at you. You know how to retaliate with an equal, if not greater, force of anger. But you don't know what to do in the face of kindness.

**VOLITION (LEGENDARY: FAILURE] -** Because you don't deserve it, not after all you've done.

**RHETORIC -** It seems Kim thinks otherwise.

**AUTHORITY -** And who can oppose him?

**SUGGESTION -** You've been silent for a few minutes now. Kim waits for you to gather your thoughts.

**INLAND EMPIRE -** But he isn't in a hurry, he'll wait for an eternity for you with the patience of an unyielding saint.

**PERCEPTION (TOUCH) -** Something wet drips down your chin. A small droplet of liquid.

**LOGIC [HEROIC: FAILURE] -** But the forecast said it was going to be clear today?

**EMPATHY [CHALLENGING: SUCCESS] -** Kim's eyes soften, tinged with an underlying sadness.

**YOU -** You bring a hand to your eyes. You're crying.

"Oh."

**ENDURANCE [IMPOSSIBLE: FAILURE] -** A wave of bottled up emotions washes over you; sadness, frustration, hurt, wanting.

It burns through your chest as tears pour down your face. Your shoulders begin to shake and you're so preoccupied with rubbing furiously at your eyes that you don't realize that Kim is right in front of you.

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Then he lifts his arms and wraps them around your trembling body.

Compared to the brisk salty air, Kim is warm and a grounding anchor. He holds you with so much conviction and trust that you can't help but curl your arms around his body and melt in his arms. The two of you stay in an embrace as the chill creeps out of your bones, replaced by a thawing warmth.

Then he takes a small step backwards and the awe you feel for him overtakes the urge to pull him back.

**PERCEPTION (SIGHT) -** His ears are glowing bright red. 

**KIM KITSURAGI -** He clears his throat and looks off to the side, clearly embarrassed by his actions. He takes off his glasses, cleaning the glass with a handkerchief, identical to the one he lent you.

"You're a good person who's trying his best, Harry." Kim says lowly, eyes still fixed on the lenses. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

**YOU -** You swallow thickly, still devastated by his words and the hug. 

"Thank you, Kim. For everything"

**KIM KITSURAGI -** Kim fixes his glasses back on his face and sends you a slight smile. He reaches over and squeezes your arm lightly.

"You're welcome. Now we have a culprit to apprehend, don't we?" He says with a raise of his brow.

**YOU -** You grin broadly and snap two finger guns at him. You beam when he returns with a subdued raise of a hand, fingers curled to resemble a pistol.

**CONCEPTUALIZATION -** He still manages to look so cool.

**YOU -** You continue on with your investigation, making jokes and reveling in the smiles they pulled from Kim. As you walk around the isola with the threads of the mystery slowly unraveling, something inside you clicks into place; like a puzzle you never solved until now or a thought project finally being completed. For the first time, it seems like things are looking up for you.

You glance over to Kim, a placid smile on his face, and you know for sure as a smile of your own begins to tug at your lips. Everything is going to be okay.

  
  
  
  



End file.
